Page:Duer Miller--The charm school.djvu/138

 momentary pause he became aware that she was, as usual, trembling—trembling to such a degree that the air of the whole room seemed to be vibrating about her and, what was worse, setting up a sympathetic tremor in his own nerves. He said, angrily:

"Why do you tremble like that? Are you afraid of me?"

She shook her head and then as emphatically nodded it. Then she put up her hand to her mouth in a vain effort to control her lower jaw so that she could enunciate. "Not a bit—yes, I am—not exactly afraid—but I love you—I love you terribly."

It seemed to Austin that all sounds had suddenly died away and that he and she were left alone in an absolutely silent world. The truth was he had ceased to take note of anything but her. She stood quite still, until he began to speak, and then she stopped him.

"No, no, pl-please," she stammered, "don't say any of those things you are thinking of saying—that I'm too young to know what love is—and all that. I have so little time and it's so hard for me to tell you about it. You see, it doesn't matter about George—anything he says or does doesn't matter. He's been proposing to me every week since